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Interview Coming - a few questions

I got laid off from my job back on the 8th, budget cuts, so now i'm stuck looking for work in the August doldrums when everybody's on vacation. Pumping out a lot of applications with few responses (also because the layoff means i've held two jobs in a 15 month span of time which makes me look like a flight risk, but the one i left to change cities from Pittsburgh to DC Metro area), but I got one interview with a place on Tuesday that seems pretty eager (invited me to an in-person interview 20 minutes after the phone interview). It's pretty close to my old job, would be able to match or slightly exceed my old pay, and it hits before my severance runs out (September 8th)

So I kind of need this. I know better than to be desperate, nobody likes that. The skillset for the job is all stuff i've done before, and it's a very similar organization to where i was working in Pittsburgh before i moved here, so i know the lingo.

My two main issues are pushing questions of pay: ideally i'd want to make $2,000/year more than where i was at before, but i blurted out in the phone interview a range of "x to x+$2,000" where x was my old salary, and i know they always go for the lowest number you tell them, i've learned that now. Am i stuck on that? Or could i push a bit to try to get $1k or $2k more, or would that jeopardize me in my situation?

Second, smaller one, ideally i'd get the Tuesday after Labor Day off so that i could enjoy Labor Day with my family without having to spend half the day driving back to DC. Would it be an issue to ask for that (either as a pushed-back start date, or as a day off), or should i just say that i have no commitments, can start immediately, and just leave it at that?

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Can't answer your first one because I don't have the experience to give that particular advice but for the second one, mention up front that you're taking that Tuesday off so they can factor it in to the start date or take it into account in general. If you start and then ask for a day off so soon after, they probably won't look too kindly on it. I'm sure they've dealt with people who've had things planned in advance and needed those days off soon after the hire date.

As for salary, I've seen articles on hiring sites say you shouldn't change your salary expectations after you have given it to them. When asked about it again though you might be able to say you would prefer something at the higher end of that range while still keeping your floor amount the same. While it's true you usually get the bottom amount, that isn't always the case.

If you gave them a range and you're not happy with the low end you can ask for perks like more vacation or better benefits and when they don't give them to you suggest that then you're going to need something more like the high end of your range to make the offer satisfactory.

Obviously any negotiation is going to be tough if they know you're unemployed though

I have always found that after they have given benefits, and the low end be like i need the extra 2k because my previous employer paid 100% health and the range was benefits based, or I need an extra week of vacation, always work angles to get a step up.

I have always found that after they have given benefits, and the low end be like i need the extra 2k because my previous employer paid 100% health and the range was benefits based, or I need an extra week of vacation, always work angles to get a step up.

The other happy-sad story is that i paid off my student loans due to my grandmother's passing (small inheritance) early this year, so my old budget has over $250 allotted to something i no longer need to pay for, so there's room for decrease, but i've gotten used to having that money to spend or save every month.

You should be able to bull**** a reason why you need an extra $1000 a year without much worry. If you were asking for an extra $10k that'd be different.

For the other question, I'd just say you're available after Labor Day but might be able to come in a few days the week before if they need you.

You should also just be able to say you were nervous and blurted the wrong number. I mean, until I've starting the ball on processing you, it's just a number in spreadsheet next to your name. If you're not within 2k of another, comparable candidate, then it won't change the ranking, and it certainly won't irritate me.

Put another way: I already decided what I could pay for that position before I posted it. You're either in tolerance or you're not. Only an asshole would level judgement on you for wanting to be paid as much as possible.

Standard disclaimer: I am apparently not a typical hiring manager, per experiences often relayed on this forum. Your hiring manager may, in fact, be an asshole.

Welp, i got a temp job, but it's all the way in Rockville while i'm in Alexandria, for less hourly pay compared to my old salary, so i'm going to be losing money on gas and lost wages, though still have some room for savings each month.

But it's a baseline, and they're going to start on Wednesday so i'll get some nice overlap with my severance pay and horde up a bit.

Only issue with the Wednesday start is now there's no time for the interview tomorrow to call me back before the temp job starts, so i might have to piss off the temp agency by taking the job and dropping it a few weeks later (basically had to lie to them about the possibility of that happening when talking earlier today).

Started the temp job today, pretty nasty commute (not the worst DC could offer, but up there). Seems like a pretty mild work environment though.

Interview yesterday went well, but they want to do a third round and won't even call me about that until next week. Got a call today about a position that skipped straight to voice mail and the caller apparently never answers his phone, but i can run them down tomorrow.

Phone interview for a *different* temp position (but a one-year gig at a pay rate that matches my old job, rather than this current gig which is slightly below), which would be a more expensive commute, but it would be all Metro line, so much less stressful and not chewing up my car. That's tomorrow.

Non-profit fundraising. Right now i'm doing a 2-3 month temp gig in Database work, but i can also do regular fundraising (mail, online), donor relations, and some grantwriting experience. Interview options on the table run the gamut, a do-it-all job at a small operation, donor prospecting/research for an international org, sales of non-profit software technology, and bulk mail for a gigantic organization.

Can you stop emailing my grandmother-in-law? She forwards me all of them.

I've tended to favor a light touch in operations where i've had a say, focus on people with a connection to the organization, meaningful content that doesn't patronize.

At my new temp job i was sorting through Return To Sender letters sent from an acquisition campaign (e.g., one where my temp employer bought a list of addresses from another charity and cold-mailed them) and you get a ton of responses from elderly constituents, some sad, some hilarious.

I really dislike my new commute. Hopefully the interview from Tuesday pulls through for the next round next week. I'd hate to have to do this for more than a month.

Non-profit fundraising. Right now i'm doing a 2-3 month temp gig in Database work, but i can also do regular fundraising (mail, online), donor relations, and some grantwriting experience. Interview options on the table run the gamut, a do-it-all job at a small operation, donor prospecting/research for an international org, sales of non-profit software technology, and bulk mail for a gigantic organization.

Non-profit fundraising. Right now i'm doing a 2-3 month temp gig in Database work, but i can also do regular fundraising (mail, online), donor relations, and some grantwriting experience. Interview options on the table run the gamut, a do-it-all job at a small operation, donor prospecting/research for an international org, sales of non-profit software technology, and bulk mail for a gigantic organization.

"mr khan" HEY THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Well, the job isn't posted yet, but we are going to be shortly looking for a database manager for our fundraising, volunteer, and donations databases.